


The "Haunted" Flat

by orphan_account



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining, SO MUCH FLUFF, Slow Build, niall can't sleep in his own flat pretty much and he ends up going to zayn's, sleeping together like just sleeping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-01
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2018-02-19 13:43:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2390465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I’m really really sorry," Niall stresses, and his voice is borderline hysterical. His words come tumbling out of his mouth and Niall hates how out of control he feels right now. "I just- I can’t sleep, I think my place is haunted, or or something, and I was wondering, if you maybe I could just crash here? I wouldn’t bother you at all, I swear."</p><p>Finally, the guy speaks, his voice low and gravely. “Uh, yea, yea, that’d be ok, I guess. You’re fine with the couch?”</p><p>And Niall literally could just fall on his knees right here and praise the heavens to whoever made this guy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The "Haunted" Flat

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy, hope its not too cheesy. Let me know what you thought, of course!

It’s a pretty hard task Niall discovers, balancing one big heavy box on his hip while he opens up the apartment door with his other hand. Why he didn’t just leave the box on the floor with the other three boxes while he opened the door is beyond him. Nevertheless, Niall manages the task and when he steps through the threshold, Niall lets out a loud breath, taking in the inside of his new apartment for the first time in person.

He takes a few more steps in before setting the box down. He quickly moves the rest of the boxes inside and his guitar case before shutting the door, though not before getting a glimpse of a guy leaving the apartment next door wearing a plaid shirt and a beanie. Niall doesn’t dwell on him much, he’ll have time to meet his neighbors later.

When the door clicks as it latches close, Niall feels as though it’s finally official. He’s finally moved to London after 22 years of living his whole life in Ireland.

Niall explores the small flat, happy that it was just like the pictures and description and that he wasn’t being ripped off, before he sets to unpacking the important stuff. The apartment came with a minimum of furniture, so Niall knows that he’ll have to go shopping soon, but he’s happy that he’s at least got a couch and a bed and appliances.

After unpacking for around an hour and half and deciding where everything should go, Niall decides to call it good for a bit. He kicks back on the couch and pulls out his phone, quickly calling his mom.

It feels good hearing a familiar voice, and not for the first time, Niall’s realizing he already feels homesick. He pushes that thought to the back of his mind though. He hasn’t even been away from Ireland more than a day!

He talks to his mom for well over an hour, procrastinating the rest of his unpacking. It’s his stomach, however, that in the end forces Niall to say goodbye and promise his mom to call back the next day.

Because there’s no food in his new place, Niall has to go out. He grabs his keys and wallet before ducking out. Right as he’s closing the door, Niall notices his neighbor opening his own door. He offers him a polite smile and wave while finally getting a better look at him, and wow, his neighbor is hot. He’s got his sleeves rolled up to reveal tattoos littering his arms, his skin is tanned, eyes warm and brown, and he’s got a jaw line to kill, and Niall can’t even. He awkwardly tries not to blush as the guy starts to close his door to his apartment, after smiling back at Niall of course.

It’s at the very last second that Niall remembers something.

"Oh hey," he nearly shouts. The door reopens more and Niall shoves his hands in his pockets while shuffling his feet on the floor. "Would you happen to know any good inexpensive places to eat close by?"

The guy doesn’t answer for a little while as he studies Niall, looking him up and down. Finally, he answers. “There’s a small burger place a few blocks that way,” he points to his left. “I’ve never been, but I’ve heard it’s pretty good.”

Niall grins brightly. “Alright, thank you.” And with that, the near stranger closes his door and Niall is off on his way.

—-

It’s later that night when Niall is curled up under the one blanket he has—he hadn’t brought comforters or sheets and would have to buy them— that he realizes some of the disadvantages of living alone. He’s never had to live alone before, always having roommates just down the hall, sometimes in the same room, and it feels oddly suffocating to know he’s completely by himself in this apartment. The darkness seems to be pressing into him and Niall curls further into himself at the thought.

Eventually, he falls asleep though, thinking about how tomorrow he needs to get out and explore and shop. His new job starts on monday already, the day after tomorrow, and while he’s mapped the way to get there in his mind, he’s never actually walked it. There’s an odd feeling bubbling in his stomach as he falls asleep on the prospect, somewhere between a mix of excitement and nervousness.

—-

The next day, Niall does as exactly as he promised himself he would. He gets up at around 8 am and after showering and dressing, is out of the flat. He heads for the subway station, knowing that’s going to be his main mode of transportation until he finally saves enough money to buy a car. He buys himself a long-term pass before hopping onto the subway. Fortunately, the subway isn’t too crowded, even after it passes through the central station.

After Niall times how long it took to get to his work place, Niall decides to explore a bit of London. It’s huge, Niall decides. So much bigger than the smaller town of Mullingar in which he grew up in and even bigger than Dublin. It’s busy too, people crowding the sidewalks, and running into each other. Niall eventually stops trying to push his way through people and just lets flow of people sweep him away.

He finds a small furniture store in which he buys some sheets for his bed, and two small lamps. And when he stumbles upon a grocery store, Niall buys himself some food for the next day or two. He hauls the large bags back to his flat, taking them on the subway again.

This time, Niall runs into his neighbor on the elevator as it heads up to their floor. The guy is talking on the phone so Niall doesn’t actually get the chance to say something to him, he just stands in the corner and subconsciously draws his bags as close to him as possible. The guy leaves the elevator with only having acknowledged Niall’s presence with a sideways glance as he was exiting.

That night, Niall lies awake for half the night. He has sheets on his bed now, but he’s nervous about his job tomorrow and he keeps hearing sounds echoing around the flat. He knows it nothing to worry about, but ever squeak of the floor has him pulling up his blanket further up to his face until he’s completely under it. He feels exhausted, is the thing, but he can’t fall asleep.

—

Niall wakes up for his job at 7 am, still feeling exhausted. He shakes it off though and gets himself ready.

There’s a major difference between the subway station today and yesterday. Today, it is bustling with people. People of all kinds. People wearing suits and carrying briefcases and people dressed down in sweats. Niall himself is wearing a pair of slacks and a button up blue dress shirt.

Niall manages to get on the subway without a hitch, but he ends up pressed between a tall guy and this shorter fat guy, and Niall has to remind himself to breath. The train is literally crammed together with people and Niall is lucky enough to have a standing spot, but he feels like he can’t breathe. He shuts his eyes tight and focuses on breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. It gets him through it.

He gets to his job on time, with 20 minutes to spare actually, and Niall is greeted warmly. The first day of work isn’t really work, it’s more of just other workers running Niall through what he’s going to be doing exactly and how it needs to be done. Well, that’s really what the first few weeks are going to be like. Niall’s adrenaline gets him though the day without him collapsing from exhaustion, and the work day goes by pretty well. He promises himself though to go to bed extra early so that he’d definitely get enough sleep.

Getting back home is a bit more of problem, because Niall ends up getting lost in the subway station, every corner looking the same, and every way he turns it’s like he’s seeing the same faces again and again. For a moment, he feels tears pricking at his eyes but he manages not to cry and he finds his train and heads home on it.

Niall crawls into bed early that night, just like how he had said he would. However, he finds himself lying awake again, his heartbeat picking up at every little sound he hears. Once it crosses 2am, he literally feels like crying and he does let a few fat tears slip past his eyes. He debates calling someone, like his mother for instance, but eventually decides against it. He could make it through this like a big boy.

The thing is though, Niall’s nights don’t get any better. Before, he could always blame the little sounds on his roommates, but this time there’s nothing. Every little noise has Niall wondering if someone broke in or if there’s some sort of monster or ghost wandering around his flat. He’s always had a very active imagination and he’s seen one too many horror movies that has him thinking up crazy scenarios that always end up with him dead or eaten alive.

He tries sleeping with the lights on, but quickly decides he can’t when all he can see is red behind his eyelids. He’s never been able to sleep with lights on before. He tries listening to music, but that fails him soon enough as well. So he usually ends up curled in a ball late into the nights, whimpering to himself until he eventually falls asleep absolutely exhausted. He’s almost fallen asleep several times at work too, and Niall knows this has to stop.

It’s during one night, while Niall’s eyes are still wide open that hears a loud thump from the other room. It causes Niall to jump and for his heart to freeze in his chest. He stays frozen like that for a good few minutes, ears straining in the silence though all he can hear is his heartbeat. He’s hardly even breathing. Another squeak sounds and Niall finally finds the courage to reach a hand out of his blanket and flick on the lamp next to the bed, illuminating the room in light. After that, he works quickly, stumbling out of the bed with his blanket still wrapped around him. All he knows is that he can’t stay in his flat.

Somehow, Niall remembers his keys and phone on the way out, and then he’s out of his apartment, terror still running through his veins. He has absolutely nowhere to go, and Niall stands in the hallway for around ten minutes, back resting against the wall before he gets the idea of knocking on his neighbor’s door. He does just that, timidly rapping against the wood and not a minute later, the door is swung open.

Niall’s neighbor is there, only wearing a pair of boxers and his hair in a mess from sleep. If it was any other circumstances, Niall would definitely be ogling the guy’s hot body, but as it is, Niall feels himself shaking in his blanket. The guy rubs at his eyes and looks Niall up and down. Niall knows how he must look. He’s wearing only his blanket, which doesn’t cover his bare chest completely and his chicken legs are on full display, and his underwear. His eyes are probably wide with dark circles under them and Niall is sure he looks absolutely disgusting with everything but he can’t bring himself to care.

"I’m really really sorry," Niall stresses, and his voice is borderline hysterical. His words come tumbling out of his mouth and Niall hates how out of control he feels right now. "I just- I can’t sleep, I think my place is haunted, or or something, and I was wondering, if you maybe I could just crash here? I wouldn’t bother you at all, I swear."

He finishes his little spiel and then waits there, chewing on his bottom lip while the guy stares at him blankly. Niall thinks he might cry if the guy says no. He thinks he might cry either way.

Finally, the guy speaks, his voice low and gravely. “Uh, yea, yea, that’d be ok, I guess. You’re fine with the couch?”

And Niall literally could just fall on his knees right here and praise the heavens to whoever made this guy. “Yes- yea, that’s fine. Thank you so much.”

"Mmhm," the guy hums and then steps aside to let Niall in. He doesn’t say anything after that, just points Niall to the couch while Niall thanks him over and over again, and then heads off to presumably his own bedroom.

Niall falls down onto the couch, using one of the small pillows there for his head. It’s the first time that night that Niall feels like he can breathe properly and surprisingly, he falls asleep almost immediately. There’s just something comforting knowing there’s another person that Niall could call out to if need be.

It’s not until Niall is floating between that space of consciousness and unconsciousness that he realizes he still doesn’t know his neighbor’s name.

~~~

It’s to the smell of eggs that Niall wakes up the next morning. He shifts around a bit, groaning and stretching his limbs before his eyes start to slowly open. The room he sees is definitely not his bedroom and Niall is confused for a whole second before he remembers he’s at his neighbor’s couch. His neighbor who he barely even knows. He blushes profusely at the thought, not believing he was so idiotic that he couldn’t handle the small noises in his flat and had to resort to going next door. How childish could he be?

If it isn’t for the fact that Niall still has work, he probably would have curled himself into a tight ball on the couch until he disappeared. As it is though, Niall takes a quick glance at his phone and knows he has to get going soon. He begrudgingly sits up, cricking his neck to each side and stretching his arms as he goes. He couldn’t help but let out a small satisfied moan at how well his muscles felt. He is still tired, but he feels so much better after this one night than he has any other night staying at his own flat.

Following the smell of the eggs, Niall finds his way to the kitchen. He’s wearing only his underwear because the thought of wrapping his blanket around him again seemed too childish in the light of day. His neighbor is in front of the stove, now wearing sweat pants but still shirtless. Niall swallows thickly as he stands at the entrance of the kitchen awkwardly for a few moments. Eventually, he just clears his throat to get the guy’s attention.

His neighbor turns around and it takes everything Niall has not to gawk at his shirtless form. Now that Niall has the time and it’s lighter, he can fully appreciate the toned body in front of him. It’s covered in several tattoos and Niall’s never thought of himself as a tattoo guy before, but just wow. But Niall forces those thoughts away as he stares into the brown eyes of the guy.

“G’morning,” the guy says, his voice less sleep-riddled than the night before. It sounds like absolute heaven. “Did you sleep well?”

“I slept great,” Niall answers, crossing his arms over his body, trying to hold onto a bit more of his dignity. “Thank you so much, again.”

The guy makes some sort of agreement noise as he turns back to his eggs. “Do you want some breakfast? It’s just eggs and toast.”

“No I really shouldn’t,” Niall tries to refuse even as his belly growls. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

The guy chuckles at that. “I already made enough for two, so you’d be less of a bother if you just ate your share.”

And Niall full out laughs at that, and the guy turns around to give him a wide smile that has his eyes crinkled at the edges and top lip curled up.

“Alright, well, if you insist,” Niall gives in. “‘M Niall by the way.”

“Zayn,” his neighbor answers, dishing out the eggs and toast on two plates. “I was wondering when we were going to have a proper meeting, though I didn’t exactly have this in mind.”

Niall follows him to the table and sits down across from Zayn. “Me neither. I don’t normally go to my neighbors flat in the middle of the night.”

“No?” Zayn teases as he begins to eat.

Niall just lets out a small chuckle before he eats as well.

“So, where’d you live before moving here?” Zayn asks after a few minutes of silence.

Niall has to wait to swallow, but then he finds himself telling Zayn of how he lived his whole life in Ireland and this is his first time so far away from family and living on his own. Zayn asks him more about he likes it here, and Niall tells him it’s all a bit overwhelming and Zayn promises that he could show him around the city sometime. It’s at this point that Niall’s grin is so wide he feels like it’s going to break his face, but then he catches a glance at the clock on the wall and he is scrambling to get on his feet.

“I’m so sorry,” Niall splutters. “I have to get to work though. Thank you again.” He’s already on his way out and grabbing his stuff when he hears Zayn call out a goodbye and to feel free to stop by again.

~~~

When Niall gets home that evening, he finds the lamp he bought broken on the floor in the living room. It had to have been what had made the loud thump the other night. Niall cleans it up, hoping to god it wasn’t some sort of ghost that had knocked it over last night.

As he goes to bed that night, he promises himself that he’s going to fall asleep like a big boy, in his own flat in his own bed. However, at the first sound of a large creak, Niall is out of his bed throwing on sweats and grabbing his blanket and keys and phone and out the door at Zayn’s before he can even acknowledge it.

He knocks on the door again, this time a bit more brave and Zayn answers with a toothbrush in his mouth.

“Um…” Niall trails off for a second, cheeks burning. “Can I sleep here again?”

Zayn opens his mouth to say something, but seeing as it was full of tooth paste, thinks better of it and just nods. He lets Niall in again, and Niall finds his way to the couch and sits down. He calls out a soft ‘thanks’ and ‘goodnight’ as Zayn leaves the room. At that, Niall lays himself down, wrapped in his blanket and surrounded by the smell of Zayn’s house. He hears the running of water in the bathroom, and Zayn’s feet walking on the ground as it turns off, and then the light of the hallway gets turned off and Niall is washed in darkness. He falls asleep relatively quickly again.

~~`

It keeps happening after that, is the thing. Niall tries to fall asleep at his own flat until he hears some freaky noise and ends up at Zayn’s. Zayn lets him in and Niall sleeps on the couch. He wakes up, well-rested, and has breakfast with Zayn as the two of them pretend like Niall not being able to sleep in his own flat is completely normal. Then Niall heads off to work and when he gets home he tells himself he’s going to sleep in his own bed no matter what, only for him to still end up at Zayn’s.

~~~

It comes Friday morning after two weeks of doing this that Zayn finally asks if Niall wants to hang out after he gets home from work. Niall grins from ear to ear and says ‘yea, of course.’

Niall only heads back to his own flat after work to change into more comfortable clothing before going to Zayn’s. Zayn answers the door almost immediately and shoos Niall inside. They don’t do anything too exciting that night, just kick back on the couch, watch a few movies and drink a few beers while chatting idly about life. But it’s the first real night Niall’s had with another person since moving here, and he’s missed hanging with people like this.

Once it starts getting late, Zayn turns the T.V. off. Niall gets up and is about to head to the door and say his goodbyes before Zayn stops him with his words.

“Do you want to just spend the night?” he asks, and when Niall turns back to face him, he can actually detect the smallest hint of a blush on Zayn’s cheeks.

“I- yea, I’d like to,” Niall answers. He realizes then that this is the first time, that Zayn has actually invited him to spend the night without Niall having to ask first. “I guess I’ll need to go get my blanket for the couch though.”

“Or you could just sleep in my bed with me?” Zayn offers, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“Yea, or I could just sleep in your bed with you,” Niall agrees, grinning.

Zayn smiles back to him. “Alright, well, I’m tired, so I’m gonna head to bed then.”

Niall follows him to the bedroom and has to force himself to look away when Zayn starts stripping out of his clothes until he’s only his boxers.

“Hope you don’t mind,” Zayn tells him.

“I don’t mind if you don’t mind,” Niall answers, pulling off his own shirt before bending over to step out of his pants. When he straightens up he only just catches Zayn’s stare before the older boy is looking away.

With that, the pair climb into bed and settle down. Niall lets out a soft sigh at feeling how soft and warm Zayn’s covers are and they smell delightfully of the older boy. The two are on opposite sides of the queen bed as Zayn reaches over to turn off the lamp.

“Goodnight,” they whisper to each other.

~~~

When Niall wakes up the next morning, there’s a warm feeling in the pit of the stomach. His whole body is buzzing with contentness and Niall snuggles into the warm body below his. It takes Niall awhile to realize he’s laying half atop of Zayn, his leg and arm thrown over Zayn and his head resting on the boy’s chest. He also realizes that Zayn is sort of petting at his lower back with his arm and Niall just feels so good where he is that he doesn’t feel the need to move. He breathes in the scent of Zayn, and it’s so nice and warm and Niall could probably lay here forever.

Eventually, though, he tilts his head up to peer at Zayn only to find Zayn is already looking down at him, a fond look in his eyes.

“Morning,” he says, his voice deep and Niall can feel it rumbling through his chest as he speaks.

“Morning,” Niall repeats softly. He has no idea what time it is, only that he hasn’t felt this good after a night’s sleep ever.

It’s only after Niall shifts a bit and feels Zayn’s morning wood against his thigh that he realizes maybe they really shouldn’t be this close to each other, since they’re only friends. They both end up blushing as Niall sits up and away from Zayn.

“Sorry,” Zayn mumbles and attempts to cover his morning boner with his hand.

Niall swallows. “It’s alright, happens to everyone.”

Then, just like that they brush it off.

~~~

Niall insists on making Zayn breakfast, since it’s the least he could do after sleeping on Zayn’s couch for two weeks and eating Zayn’s food. He goes about making them omelets while Zayn hops in the shower and Niall only thinks about how Zayn’s probably taking care of his morning wood in there once. Only once, he swears, because he definitely did not think about the veins in Zayn’s arms as he wraps his hand around himself and the way he throws his head back at the feeling. Niall feels like an absolute perv as he dishes out the omelets.

Zayn comes into the kitchen only wearing a towel, hanging dangerously low on his hips, and his hair still wet and hanging in his face from the shower. He looks absolutely soft and Niall blushes as they down across from each and eat. The semi he’s been working on all morning begins to stiffen even more and Niall has to shake his head to clear his mind.

When they’re done, Zayn offers to let Niall use his shower and Niall accepts, even though he has his own perfectly good shower not thirty feet away.

It’s tempting, but Niall feels like he would be pushing the boundaries a bit too far if he got a hand around himself in Zayn’s shower.

~~~

Again, it becomes a normal occurrence for the boys: Niall and Zayn constantly hanging out after work and then Zayn casually inviting Niall to spend the night. They fall into bed together and after the first few nights, aren’t shy about cuddling up to each other and falling asleep.

It all feels so domestic and Niall often times finds himself wanting to just kiss Zayn.

Until one day, when it happens. The two are lying in bed together for another lazy Saturday morning, Zayn’s hands running through Niall’s hair while Niall is still half asleep on his chest. Without thinking, Niall leans up and presses his lips to Zayn’s. He feels Zayn stiffen underneath him, then relax and is soon enough pulling Niall even tighter against him as he kisses Niall back.

Zayn flips them over, pressing Niall into the mattress as he kisses him sweetly but still harshly. After a bit, they break apart, panting against each other’s mouths.

Niall blushes. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just kissed you,” he mumbles, trying to hide his face sideways into the pillow.

Zayn just chuckles, dropping his head to Niall’s shoulder and breathing deeply. “You have no idea how long I wanted to kiss you like that,” he says and Niall finds himself smiling coyly.

“Really?” Niall asks and Zayn looks down at him. “Me too.”

Zayn presses their lips together again, then again, and again. Short little sweet kisses. Niall wraps his arms around Zayn’s back, and moans softly against Zayn’s lips. It’s even better then he always imagined it to be.

“Why didn’t we do this sooner?” Niall mutters after a few minutes, still grinning up at Zayn.

“We’re such idiots,” Zayn mumbles instead of answering. “I can’t believe you being too scared to sleep in your own apartment is what caused us to meet.”

“Heeey,” Niall whines half-heartedly but then Zayn kisses him again.

“And I’m glad you couldn’t,” Zayn continues. “You’re very comfy to sleep with.”

“Same to you,” Niall chirps.

They kiss a bit more before Zayn rolls of off Niall and flops down onto the bed on his back. “Suppose we better get up.”

“S’pose,” Niall echoes, though he turns on his side and traces his finger down Zayn’s chest. It’s clear he has no attention of getting up any time soon. “So… what does this mean about us? Are we just kissing and sleeping buddies or…?”

“We can be anything you want,” Zayn tells him earnestly. “Though I prefer boyfriends. Can’t wait to tell my parents how we met though.”

“Just tell them you were being all many and protecting me from my haunted apartment,” Niall tells him and Zayn laughs, dragging Niall closer to him. It’s not love, not yet, but it has the potential to be, and Niall’s impossibly glad he couldn’t sleep in his own flat either.


End file.
